A Choose Your Own Ship Story
by Hihintayin Kita
Summary: The basis is simple. It starts out with Sharon and Rusty having dinner. Exhausted, she heads towards her bedroom to sleep, but not before calling a special someone and wishing them good night. Is it Andrea? Or is it Andy? (Note: I might add another one, perhaps Provenza. I'll see how this goes first).
1. Prologue: Sharon & Rusty

Prologue: Sharon/Rusty

**A/N**: I decided to stretch myself and try my hand at something different: a choose your own ending kind of deal here, so um, enjoy!

* * *

Sharon made it home just in time for dinner. She could smell the delicious aroma of the chicken as she walked through the door.

She was switching to her black Uggs when Rusty called out to her. "Hey Sharon, dinner's ready. It'll be on the table in a few minutes!"

Peeking into the kitchen, she found Rusty transferring the chicken onto their plates. "Thank you, Rusty. I'll be back, just going to drop my jacket and purse in my room."

A few minutes later, the two of them were eating their dinner at the dining table. They usually used this time to talk about each other's day. Rusty guessed that Sharon was exhausted since her responses to his questions sounded almost clipped, forced.

When he started living with Sharon, he didn't care to ask Sharon how her day went. To him she was just annoying, imposing so many rules on him. Then his instincts started to kick in; what if Sharon was going to kick him out and send him to a foster home? In the beginning he acted like an ungrateful brat, giving her a reason to send him to another foster home. She was the first person to show unequivocal support for him - provide him shelter, food, and security. He started to help out a bit, like cooking breakfast for her, to prove that he wasn't all terrible.

The months passed by and he found that he didn't want to do things for Sharon just to prove himself anymore. He just generally wanted to help Sharon out and make her happy. She had done so much, put up so much, for him.

Towards the end of dinner, he noticed that Sharon was quiet and looked like she wanted to fall asleep at the dinner table.

"Hey, Sharon," he said, "you're tired. Go sleep and I'll clean up."

"No, no, I can clean up. You cooked dinner," she started, already getting up from her chair.

"No, seriously Sharon. You're exhausted. Go get ready for bed," Rusty smiled, "maybe call a certain someone, wishing them good night too."

Sharon laid a hand on his shoulder while giving him a grateful smile. She was so glad that he responded favorably to her recent change in relationship status. At first she was hesitant, but then again he wasn't the obnoxious brat from when he first moved in.

"Thank you so much Rusty," she told him.

"No problem," he picked up their dishes, "just wish them a good night for me too."


	2. Sharon & Andrea

Sharon/Andrea - Her Cuddling Sweetheart

Sharon walked to her room with a steaming mug of tea. She decided on wearing her comfiest pajamas, but only after a good soak in the tub. She also brought her phone with her in the bathroom. Even without Rusty's suggestion, she had already planned on calling a certain DDA who was working late on a case. With the addition of the lavender and vanilla bath salts she sank into the warm water.

She rested her neck against the porcelain of her bathtub. The warm water provided much needed relief for her tired and aching bones. So for a while, she closed her eyes, let her thoughts drift to her blonde lawyer, and let the stresses of the day slowly ebb.

* * *

Over at the DA's office, the completely opposite was happening. Andrea was still slaving over paperwork at her desk, the piles of paperwork seemingly never-ending. She wanted to close this case, and close it she did, but the amount of paperwork amassed was staggering.

_Sometimes I really hate paperwork_, she griped to herself.

After hours of going over files, she decided to give herself another break for a few minutes. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Her thoughts instantly shifted from work to a certain Captain.

She let out a wistful sigh and opened her eyes, once again determined to finish so she could go home and call Sharon.

About half an hour later, Sharon emerged from her room to wash her mug in the kitchen sink. She was placing her mug back into the cupboard when the phone started ringing.

She answered by the second ring. "Hello?"

"I hope I'm not catching you at a bad time," Andrea's soft voice greeted her.

Sharon's mood was brightened even more. She was planning on calling her anyways after her soak. It was times like these, when their schedules were so mismatched that they couldn't find time to be physically together, that made Sharon miss her terribly. Yet, they still found their ways to alleviate the void.

"For you, it's never a bad time," she walked back to her room, keeping her voice down as to not disturb Rusty.

"Can you believe I'm just getting out now? The paperwork for this case was never ending!" Andrea was literally just walking out of her office and heading into the elevator to the parking garage.

"Sounds terrible, sweetheart," Sharon replied as she pulled her bed sheets back.

"Do you mind if I come over? I'm so tired and your place is closer than mine," Andrea asked, the fatigue becoming more and more evident in her voice.

"Of course," Sharon replied, "I'll have something ready for you to eat."

"You're so good to me, Sharon," Andrea softly told her.

"And you're good to me, sweetheart. Drive carefully, I'll see you soon."

* * *

About 15 minutes later, Sharon received a text from Andrea, telling her that she was coming up. Somehow Sharon opened the door at the precise time Andrea arrived.

"Hi," Andrea greeted her, giving Sharon a tender kiss. She looked dreadfully tired, but that wasn't going to stop her from giving her girlfriend a smile and kiss.

"Mm," Sharon pulled away, "hi."

She grabbed Andrea's hand and pulled her into the condo. She wrapped her in a warm hug, her arms coming to encircle Andrea's waist. Her head came to rest in the juncture between Andrea's neck and shoulders.

For a few minutes, the two were perfectly content with standing there, locked in their embrace. However, Andrea pulled back when her stomach started grumbling.

They both chuckled. "C'mon, I promised you food."

As they gathered in the kitchen, with Sharon warming up dinner from earlier and Andrea pouring herself a glass of white wine, Rusty came out of his room and padded to the kitchen.

Andrea immediately saw him. "Oh Rusty, did we wake you?"

"Oh no, I just got thirsty and wanted a glass of water," there were still bits of drowsiness in his voice, "did you just get out of work Andrea?"

"Mhmm, very long day," she brought her plate over to the dinner table, with Sharon trailing behind her, "but I'm so glad it's done."

Rusty grabbed his glass of water, bid them both good night, and headed back to his room. Sharon still sat next to Andrea as she ate and occasionally talked about how both their day went - sans the stressful parts. She flashed Sharon a smile when she reached out to hold her hand, absently stroking her knuckles with her thumb.

Andrea ate quickly, wanting nothing more than the blessed sleep she'd succumb to in Sharon's bed…in Sharon's arms.

Sharon was so good to her, she had already laid out extra pajamas for her to wear by the sink in her en suite bathroom. Andrea moved to grab her overnight bag from Sharon's chaise, but was stopped after a pair of arms encircled her waist from behind. Turning, her eyes met Sharon's lustrous green eyes. Sharon's fingers moved to her cheek, leaving feather-light touches.

"You look incredibly sexy, do you know that?" Sharon whispered as she placed sweet kisses all over Andrea's jaw line.

"Oh, this?" Andrea gestured to her grey blazer, turquoise blouse, and matching slacks.

"Everything," she hungrily kissed her, cautiously moving them towards the bathroom, "everything about you is sexy."

After Sharon permitted her a quick shower and brushing of her teeth, she eagerly climbed on to her bed. She was already laying down, but she laid on her elbow, content with watching Andrea go about her nightly bedtime routine.

Andrea laid back on Sharon's cool sheets with a heavy sigh. She turned over slightly so she could give Sharon a proper kiss good night.

"Good night, Sharon," Andrea left a trail of light kisses along her jaw and shoulder.

"Good night, Andrea," she kissed her back, brushing back errant strands of the blonde hair she loved so much.

She turned off her bedside lamp and moved so that she spooned Andrea. She was relaxed after her soak and usual cup tea, but nights when she could cuddle with Andrea were absolute bliss. With her arm wrapped securely around her waist and her leg resting atop hers, Sharon drifted off to sleep.


	3. Sharon & Andy

Choose Your Ship 1: Andy/Sharon

Andy/Sharon - Her Cooking Assistant

Sharon removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. Today was a rather stressful day and it wasn't over yet. After a few months of being together with Andy, she thought it was the time to share this change with Rusty. She certainly didn't want to keep him in the dark about someone who was a recurring presence in her - and Rusty's - life.

While one feeling started dissipating, another surfaced. She was anxious to see Rusty's reaction with his past. He had been severely let down by the few male figures in his life already; she didn't want him to think Andy was the same.

Speak of the devil, Andy knocked on her door. "Hey, Sharon, you ready to head home?"

Her head shot up at the sound of his voice. She shouldn't have been so surprised to see Andy, but that showed her how absorbed she was in her work.

"You okay, Shar?" he walked over to her desk, leaning right next to her chair.

"I'm fine," she rolled her shoulders, trying to loosen up after sitting for so long, "I didn't realize how long I'd been at it."

Andy moved behind her chair and started massaging her shoulders. Releasing a low moan, she was grateful that most of the team had gone home already. It would have caused quite a commotion if they caught a glimpse of Andy giving their Captain a massage. Only Tao and Buzz stayed longer, mulling over extra security footage in the electronics room.

Sharon closed her eyes and let her head fall forward, indulging in the firm pressure Andy applied to her tense muscles. "Feels good, Andy," she managed to murmur to him.

He placed a kiss atop her head and continued his ministrations for a while longer. When he was finished, he turned her chair around and crouched down to her level.

"Better now?" Andy asked, smoothing his hands along her thighs.

"Much," she leaned to peck his lips, "I'm done with this file. It can wait until the morning. You ready?"

"Yeah," Andy replied as he got up from his spot.

* * *

Rusty was on the couch, going over a test review when Andy and Sharon walked in.

"Hey, Rusty," Sharon called out as she donned her Uggs.

"Hey," he noticed Andy trailing behind her, "oh, hey Lieutenant."

"Hey, kiddo," Andy saw his school work laid out on the coffee table, "lot of homework tonight?"

"I'm almost done. I usually try to finish before dinner."

"That's good."

Sharon and Andy had made their way to the kitchen while Rusty went back to his work. He could barely hear their conversation, but from the noises of cabinets and drawers being closed, he guessed that they were going to cook dinner. That was fine with him; he had a big test coming up and didn't feel like cooking this evening. He dove right back into his homework.

A few minutes later his head shot up when he heard Sharon laughing at something Lieutenant Flynn did or said. That was a rarity. He had seen her smile, chuckle even, but never a full laugh like that. He snuck a glance at the two in the kitchen. They were standing right next to each other in front of the stove, but with their backs to Rusty. Andy was cutting up some vegetables while Sharon was cooking something in a pan.

Now that he actually got a good glimpse of them, he realized that they were standing pretty close to one another. Almost too close.

_I wonder if they're like, together_, Rusty thought.

He went back to observing them and he saw Andy chuckle at something and then look at Sharon with this goofy looking grin. He nudged her right shoulder with his own and that elicited a chuckle from her as well. If they weren't together as a couple, then Rusty thought they were definitely good friends.

_I guess that's okay_, he wondered. He put away his test review and gathered his books. He got up from the couch and walked back to his room.

Sharon turned around to check on Rusty when she heard books closing. He made his way back to his room and she figured he'd be back in a few when dinner was ready.

Andy noticed this too and took the opportunity to sneak a kiss from Sharon. "Sure you wanna tell him tonight?"

"Definitely," she placed another light kiss on his lips, "I just want us all to be comfortable with everything going on."

* * *

When all the cooking was done and the table was set, Sharon went over to Rusty's room to let him know dinner was ready. Andy was bringing out the last of the dishes to the table by the time Rusty sat down at the dinner table.

"Looks great," he said to the two of them.

"Thank you," Sharon replied as she moved to put some mixed vegetables on her plate, "have you finished your homework?"

"Yeah," Rusty waited to finish as he chewed, "I don't think my brain can handle any more chemistry problems."

Andy grabbed a dinner roll. "Oh I hated chemistry. I could never wrap my head around those equations."

"Yes, Lieutenant! Someone feels my pain!"

Andy chuckled. "Andy, kid. Andy's fine."

For a brief moment, it felt like there was a shift in the air. With that one sentence from Andy, allowing Rusty to call him by his first name, it almost seemed like a sign of the things to come. Somewhere in the back of Rusty's mind, he thought that there might have been a reason as to Andy's presence this particular evening.

"Alright, _Andy_," Rusty tried out saying his first name instead, "how much help did you provide for the dinner, because this is great."

Both Andy and Sharon smiled at that. Andy shot her a smug look before responding. "Well, it was all my idea. Sharon just cooked whatever I told her to. I promised her that I could make a great dinner."

"And it is great, Andy," she patted his hand on the table, "I didn't doubt your abilities one bit."

The casual banter between three of them continued throughout the rest of dinner and dessert. Sharon and Andy stopped by a local bake shop before heading to the condo. Finally, they reached a lull in the conversation.

"Rusty," Sharon began, the tension in the room began building, "we have something to share with you."

Rusty's eyebrows furrowed together. She sounded so serious, as if the next words out of her mouth were going to start an avalanche...or some outrageous response from him.

"I promised I wouldn't lie to you, so, um, Andy and I are...together now." Both of them stared at Rusty with anxious faces on.

"Like, dating?"

"Yeah," Andy replied, "but that doesn't mean we mind having dinners like this from time to time. You're important too, kid."

Rusty knew that something was going to happen, with his earlier observations and the way dinner progressed giving him hints. Frankly he was perfectly fine, happy even, with the two of them dating. Especially for Sharon. She deserved a little happiness for herself after putting up with him for these past few months.

But he wasn't going to let them know that just yet.

"So you'll be staying here, overnight?"

The awkwardness and unease was starting to show on Andy's face. "We're trying to keep that to a minimum. Whenever you're not here."

"We don't want to make you uncomfortable, Rusty." Sharon added.

_Screw it, stop messing with them_, he thought.

"Alright, that's okay, I guess," he shrugged, but had a smile on his face, "but honestly, I don't mind. You guys deserve to be happy, and if you're happy together, then go ahead. Besides, Andy...you're not so bad."

The two of them went from shocked to immensely relieved in a matter of minutes. For a while they thought that Rusty was genuinely apprehensive about their relationship, but they couldn't have been more wrong.

"Thank you, Rusty," Sharon softly told him. She reached for Andy's hand, grasping it tightly. Andy nodded in agreement.

"Don't need to thank me," he got up from his seat, "but if I hear _anything_...you know, off, coming from your room..."

"Rusty!" Andy and Sharon cried out, cutting Rusty off from saying any more.

"Just saying," he raised his hands, "I'm off to bed. Night."

"Good night, Rusty," the two of them called to him as he made his way to his room.

"See? Wasn't so bad," Andy told her as they walked to the door, arm in arm.

"You're right, you're right," she saw smug smile start to appear, "don't get used to that, Andy."

"Aw, I was about to say that I could get used to that," he lightly kissed her lips before opening the door.

"I'll see you in the morning,"

"Yup," he bestowed her another lingering kiss. "Night, Sharon."

"Good night, Andy."

* * *

Sharon climbed on to her bed, letting the cool sheets permeate through her tired body. She was tempted to just close her eyes and pass out right then and there, but she remembered that she wanted to call Andy before she went to sleep.

She sat up in her bed and reached for her phone. Andy's low voice greeted her.

"I hope I'm not bothering you?"

"No, no, I'm still awake. What's up?"

"I just wanted to call and say good night."

Andy smiled on his end, "I'm glad you did. I was actually about to call you too. Wanted to hear your voice."

"Sorry, I beat you to it."

"That you did," he heard the playfulness in her voice, but he could also hear the fatigue, "you sound exhausted, Shar. If you're feeling as tired as I am after our day, you're wanting to just pass out."

"I am," she tried to stifle a yawn, "good night, Andy."

"Good night, Shar. I'll call you tomorrow."


End file.
